EFF leader Julius Malema. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema says his party is ready to take power if the ANC excludes the Democratic Alliance from the Government of National Unity (GNU).
Mr Malema made the comments on Sunday in his closing remarks at the EFF's third electoral conference, where he returned unopposed as party leader.
The party's other top six members include Vice-President Goderich Gardie, Secretary-General Marshall Dlamini, Deputy Secretary-General Leanne Mattis, National Chairman Nonthando Nordshung, and Treasurer Onphiru Maotwe.
Mr Malema told delegates that the National Coalition government would not last long, and unless President Cyril Ramaphosa brought into force two controversial clauses in the Basic Education Amendment Act (BELA), ANC member states would He predicted that the president would be removed.
Malema continued that if Mr Ramaphosa is not removed as South Africa's president now, it will happen after the 2027 ANC electoral conference and he will be replaced by someone opposed to the unity government.
His remarks were clearly a reference to Vice President Paul Mashatil, who plays a key role in the coalition government with the DA and other parties, but was seen singing anti-GNU songs at the South African Communist Party Congress this week. It is something.
“The person who will be elected is someone who is going to fight against GNU. That's why we are saying GNU will not last long,” Malema said.
“Everywhere else it has been rejected, but people keep pushing it on ANC members. So comrades, there is no need to rush, we are waiting, we are going to get into this government. “We’re just waiting, you know. ”
He said the EFF would enter government if the ANC started a fight with DA federal chair Helen Gill. Malema added that this is not to save the ANC, but to work for the people, through which the people will vote for the EFF to come to power in the next election.
“Our people ruled in South Africa by giving every progressive black party a majority, but the ANC has decided to collaborate with right-wing, racist, white supremacists. . When we come to our senses, when we come to our senses, we will be here,” he said.
Malema said if the ANC were to invite Jacob Zuma's Umkhonto Wisizwe party into the coalition government, it would be a matter for the ANC itself, and clarified that the EFF's participation was not dependent on MK's participation. .
“We don't want anything to do with uMkhonto (but) whether they want to or not is theirs (a matter)… In any case, we cannot choose friends for them. They were friends and criminals,” he said.
Mr Malema said being given the responsibility of being the vanguard of the fight for economic freedom was not a personal achievement for the newly elected EFF leadership.
“No one has won anything here today. Only the EFF. The EFF has shown the highest level of discipline and democracy, without any violence or humiliating incidents against individuals,” he said, adding that the conference said the party ” “We have proven that we are bigger than any other party,” he added.
“Ahead of this National People's Assembly, there have been countless attempts to incite division, sectarianism and discord, but as representatives of the EFF chapters, you must resist the disruptors and ensure the success of the conference. Thank you for this,” he told delegates.
Mr Malema said the party needed to decide what this meant as many of the EFF Central Command Team (CCT) members elected on Saturday would be leading at the national level for the first time. All CCT members must be all-rounders with the ability to organize and mobilize without seeking external support, he added.
Mr Malema said there were people working day and night to divide the EFF, not because they hated the party, but because they could never succeed outside of factional politics.
“So our leadership needs to grow very quickly because sectarianism is what destroyed the ANC and it will destroy the EFF. Our leaders must consult each other. “We have to learn. There is no leader here who has all the wisdom,” he said.
“If you're a state clerk, you find yourself mentioning your state by name and talking to other state clerks, but you haven't consulted the speaker about it. You know you're the problem. You should know that.
“We have to respect each other, and respecting each other means we have to respect each other's opinions. We don't have to agree on names, but give us a chance to express ourselves. .”
“There is no EFF leader here who is not on the front lines,” Malema said, apparently referring to EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, who was nominated as his running mate but was absent from the campaign meeting.
“There are no EFF leaders who are not here in Nasrec. If they are not here, they are not EFF leaders. They should never be considered EFF leaders,” he added.
